DOCSLIB.ORG

The Church Struggle in Germany: “The Hope That We Have”

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Church Struggle in Germany: “The Hope That We Have” The Church Struggle in Germany: “The Hope That We Have” “Faith and Fatherland: Parish Politics in Hitler’s Germany” by Kyle Jantzen (Fortress, 2008) “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy A Righteous Gentile vs. The Third Reich” by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson, 2010) “The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919‐1945” by Richard Steigmann‐ Gall (Cambridge, 2003) Those who personally remember the Second World War are nearly gone. At this writing, at the beginning of 2011, no one with any memories of that period of world history is under the age of seventy-five. War veterans that survive today are more than eighty years old. Memories fade. People carry their own stories into the grave. It is now up to the historians and philosophers to help us explore and struggle with that terrible time in human history. As Lutherans, we need to continue to probe our own theology and culture in light of the German Nazi experience. How do we make sense of a time where in the most Lutheran country in the world, a philosophy arose that was responsible for the global disaster of World War II? We ask ourselves the tough questions. How could all of this have happened? Did Lutheranism shape the Nazi movement? Was the Lutheran community a willing accomplice to the Nazis in Germany, or were Lutherans (as was Dietrich Bonhoeffer) valiant resisters? Is Bonhoeffer popular in the post- war German church because he was typical of Lutheran anti-Nazi heroism, or did he prove the rule, by his life exception, that the Lutheran church in Germany was totally corrupt and compromised? Indeed, is Bonhoffer’s memory being abused by those who would look to the church as somehow an island of resistance in the sea of Gospel betrayal? Was the Lutheran Church in Germany as fascist as the Nazi regime? These questions, and many more, have been the subject of an entire field of historical studies for the past sixty years. In this essay I will bring some modest reflections on these questions. In my last conversation with Pastor Al Goodrich, the book “The Holy Reich” was recommended to me. Pastor Goodrich served at Bethany Lutheran Church in Mohawk, Michigan. As an arm chair historian fascinated by these questions, I promised Pastor Goodrich that I would read the 1 Steigmann-Gall work and we would soon discuss it together. His untimely death prevented that from happening. Historians in this 21st century are probing questions about the role of religion in culture and politics. As Christians, we are a part of the heritage of the Inquisition, the Crusades, Apartheid and slavery. Many of those who committed crimes against humanity during these periods were Christians. As Lutheran-Christians we need to be interested, and should also be uncomfortable about the Lutheran Church’s role in Germany during the Nazi period. Richard Steigmann-Gall’s book, “The Holy Reich”, began as his doctoral dissertation. In its published book form it explores the faith life of German elites from 1920 to 1936. The work has over 1,200 footnotes and a wonderful sixteen-page list of primary and secondary sources in both German and English. His focus is on the formative years of German National Socialism. Steigmann-Gall contends that the Nazis were, for the most part, Christians (Lutheran and Roman Catholic) and that their faith practices shaped them as leaders of The Third Reich. For example, Nazi Herman Goering would remain a faithful Lutheran until the end of his life. While they would manipulate and misuse their Church, the teachings of German Christian churches were helpful to their super-nationalistic end. Steigmann-Gall points out the scandal of the theological elites at the Universities who were Nazis themselves, or who were willing accomplices to Nazism. Some German protestant theologians favored Nazi ideology and culture. Many theological luminaries from that period such as Paul Althaus, Walter Kunneth, and Gerhard Kittel were themselves pro-Nazi. Even the anti-semitism of the 19th century theologian Albrecht Ritschel is shocking to our modern sensibilities. In my time in seminary, these theologians’ books were used without comment on either their Nazi past or their anti-semitism Steigmann-Gall points out that many Lutheran state bishops saw in Nazism a fulfillment of Protestant social vision. To understand that period in Germany, one must remember the absolute terror that the German churches believed that a communist takeover in Germany would bring to them. Seen by many as a bulwark against the Bolsheviks that had nearly destroyed the Church in Russia and murdered thousands of clerics there, the Roman Catholics and Lutheran communities in Germany viewed the Nazis as a positive force which would prevent in Germany a similar communist victory. However, not all Christians in Germany were pleased with the Nazi ascendency. As early as 1931, Roman Catholic bishops argued against the Nazi movement, even as they saw its value as being anti-Marxist. In the Lutheran galaxy of heroes, no one shines brighter or has more public recognition beyond the church than German theologian and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the World War II era, other Lutheran luminaries like Raoul Wallenberg, Martin Niemoller, Kaj Munk and the Norwegian Bishops, especially Eivind Berggrav, are famously heroic. However, the life and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer stands out. Bonhoeffer’s life and his theological works are studied by seminarians, pastors and theologians to this day. 2 Dietrich Bonhoeffer is an example of the idealistic noble resister to the forces of evil. Eric Metaxas has written a new fascinating account of Bonhoeffer’s life wherein he weaves a complex tapestry of the man who would die at the hands of the Nazis at the young age of thirty- nine. In his 591-page biography, “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” Metaxas portrays Bonhoeffer as a man of privilege, intellect, discipline and absolute courage fueled by his evangelical idea that Christians must be loyal, above all, to Jesus Christ. Raised in an elite intellectual family, Bonhoeffer’s early life was nearly ideal. His father Karl was the most famous psychiatrist in Germany. His mother’s family was full of university professors and theologians. Bonhoeffer’s brother, Karl-Friedrich, was a physicist working with Albert Einstein and another brother, Klaus, was a corporate lawyer working for Lufthansa, and later Germany Army Intelligence. Klaus Bonhoeffer was a bitter enemy of the Nazis, and close to the end of the war, would suffer the same fate as his brother Dietrich. In “Faith and Fatherland”, Kyle Jantzen studies the Lutheran Church in Germany with a focus on three geographic areas. Jantzen looks at Brandenburg, a Berlin suburban area, Pirna next to Dresden in Saxony, and the Lake Constance area of Ravensburg in Wurttemberg. Both suburban Berlin and Dresden are in heavily Lutheran areas in Eastern Germany. The Lake Constance area in the German south is dominated by Roman Catholics. Jantzen studies congregation and synod documents, archives and governmental records to probe the relationship and tension that existed with the Nazi Regime and the Lutheran churches, its synods and pastors. Within months of the seizure of power by Hitler and the Nazis, steps were taken by the new regime to “reform” the church. Attempts were made by the Nazis to merge the twenty-eight regional protestant churches into a Reich Church. The plan of the government was to eventually blend the Roman Catholics into a pan-Christian “Reich Church” under a Nazi friendly bishop. This effort would be abandoned because of the fierce resistance by the Catholic bishops, the Vatican, and hundreds of Lutheran pastors and some Evangelical Bishops who would soon form the Confessing Church. The Roman Catholic Church made a political settlement with Hitler early, as the Reich Concordat was signed between the Vatican and the Nazis in 1933. This agreement allowed freedom for the Roman Catholics, especially in the appointment of priests, bishops and the maintenance of Catholic educational institutions while requiring the allegiance of German churchmen and their official silence on all matters political. During the years after World War I, there had been a serious decline in the influence of the Lutheran Church in Germany. In 1933 and 1934, there was the hope expressed by many that the Nazi movement would renew the church and nation by restoring the influence of the church as the center of German social and cultural life. Jantzen points out that the theological centers of Lutheranism in this time (Law Gospel, Order of Creation and Two Kingdoms Theory) were used 3 by the hundreds of Lutheran pastors who were sympathetic to the Nazis to justify the authoritarian nature of the German state. Lutheran clergy were often avid supporters of the Nazis. As early as 1930, three years before the government takeover, at least 120 German pastors were party members. Hundreds more would join the party before 1933. Church worship attendance in the three geographic areas that Jantzen studied increased in 1933 and 1934, directly attributable to the “Nazi Renaissance.” Attendance and church participation would decrease in Lutheran Germany after 1935, as the state began to discourage church participation. Subtle and overt discrimination would increase. By 1937-38, all church meetings, no matter where they were held, were required to be reported to police. During the war years restrictions increased. Resistance to the Nazi attempted church take over was growing. Hitler was unable to force the Protestant and Catholics to organize into a Reich Church. That plan was given up by the government in 1937. Hitler’s appointment of Reich bishop Ludvig Muller was disastrously unpopular with those who worried about government encroachment in the life of the church.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fra Statskonform Kirke Til Sosial Omformer?
    TT-2015-2.book Page 164 Tuesday, May 19, 2015 3:10 PM Fra statskonform kirke til sosial omformer? Sju teser om Den norske kirkes rolle fra 1800-tallet til i dag HANS MORTEN HAUGEN F. 1971. Dr.jur og cand.polit. Professor, Institutt for diakoni og ledelse, Diakonhjemmet Høgskole. [email protected] Summary Sammendrag The Church of Norway has traditionally been a part of Den norske kirke har tradisjonelt vært en del av stats- the state of Norway. To what extent has this induced its makten i Norge. I hvilken grad har dette medført at de employees to be loyal to the state and the prevailing ansatte er lojale mot staten og den rådende samfunns- social order? Have leading church employees and orden? Har ledende kirkeansatte og ledere engasjert leaders engaged in or opposed social transformation seg i eller motarbeidet sosiale endringsbevegelser? movements? The article finds that the Church of Nor- Artikkelen peker på at Den norske kirke i mange way during many decisive phases has been in opposi- avgjørende faser de siste to hundre år har vært i oppo- tion to important social movements that have contrib- sisjon til viktige sosiale bevegelser som har bidratt til uted to the Norwegian welfare system and democracy. dagens norske velferdssystem og demokrati. Det er There are, however, countertrends to this overall pic- imidlertid flere unntak fra dette hovedbildet, og i dag ture, and currently the Church of Norway is highly crit- framstår Den norske kirke som svært kritisk til staten – ical of the state – for instance of its asylum policies. for eksempel i asylpolitikken.
    [Show full text]
  • Church and Health Grafisk/Trykk: BK.No • Foto: Shutterstock • Papir: Galeriepapir: Art Silk • Shutterstock Foto: Grafisk/Trykk: • BK.No CHURCH and HEALTH
    XXX ChurCh and health Grafisk/trykk: BK.no • Foto: Shutterstock • Papir: GaleriePapir: Art Silk • Shutterstock Foto: Grafisk/trykk: • BK.no CHURCH AND HEALTH Contents 1. Introduction . .5 1.1 Background for the document presented at the General Synod 2015 .............................................................5 1.2 Overview of the content of the document ...........................................................................................................7 1.3 What do we understand by health?.......................................................................................................................8 2. 2. Theological Perspectives on Health and the Health Mission of the Church . 10. 2.1 Health in a biblical perspective............................................................................................................................10 2.2 Healing in a biblical perspective..........................................................................................................................12 2.3 The mission of the disciples . .15 2.4 The healing ministry of the Church....................................................................................................................16 3. Todays Situation as Context for the Health Mission of the Church . 19. 3.1 The welfare state as frame for the health mission of the Church ....................................................................19 3.2 Health- and care services under pressure ..........................................................................................................21
    [Show full text]
  • Og Kirkesynet Hos Eivind Berggrav Og Sigmund Feyling Under Krigsårene 1940-1945
    En sammenligning av stats- og kirkesynet hos Eivind Berggrav og Sigmund Feyling under krigsårene 1940-1945. Av Frida Sofie Øyen. Veileder Professor Øyvind Norderval Fordypningsoppgave i Teologi ved Det teologiske fakultet UNIVERSITETET I OSLO VÅREN 2019 II En sammenligning av stats- og kirkesynet hos Eivind Berggrav og Sigmund Feyling under krigsårene 1940-1945. III © Forfatter Våren 2019. Tittel: En sammenligning av stats og kirkesynet hos Eivind Berggrav og Sigmund Feyling under krigsårene 1940-1945. Forfatter Frida Sofie Øyen. http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Allkopi IV Sammendrag Denne oppgavens hensikt er å se på Eivind Berggrav og Sigmund Feylings ulike fremstillinger av stat og kirke som kommer frem i deres skrifter og hendelser under krigsårene 1940-1945. Dette gjøres blant annet ved hjelp av diskursanalyse. Noe av målet for denne oppgaven er å se på hvordan staten og kirken fremstilles ut fra Berggrav og Feylings ulike tilnærminger og ståsteder. I krigsårene står Eivind Berggrav på den norske motstandsiden og var biskop i Oslo da krigen kom til Norge. Sigmund Feyling var prest og medlem av Nasjonal Samling (N.S). Han ble ekspedisjonssjef i kirkedepartementet da N.S kommer til makten i Norge. Denne oppgaven vil altså ta for seg to forskjellige prester/teologer som stod på hver sin side av krigen. Noen av argumentene som denne oppgaven ser nærmere på, er for eksempel når Berggrav og Feyling argumenterer om kirken alltid skal være lydig mot staten eller ikke. Rom.:13 viser seg blant annet å være et viktig bibelsted for både Berggrav og Feyling, når det kommer til det de skriver om kirken og folket alltid skal være lydige mot staten eller ikke.
    [Show full text]
  • 20Winter-Vol26-No1-TM.Pdf
    Theology Matters Vol. 26, No. 1 Winter 2020 Confessing Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life in a Pluralistic Culture Part I by John Burgess, Richard Burnett, and James Edwards On February 18–20, 2020, Theology Matters held its inspired in knowledge of the Christian faith. There is a first conference at Providence Presbyterian Church, recognition that theology still matters and makes a big Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We chose the difference in the way we think and the way we live. theme, “Confessing Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life in a Pluralistic Culture” because we wanted Many attendees claimed the conference was “a great to address something important. Perhaps there is a more blessing.” Some said it was “life-changing.” Most said important topic that needs to be addressed. If so, we do it should become an annual event. Yet one attendee, a not know what it would be. Nor did we know who would Methodist layman, wrote: “I am tempted to encourage come to this conference or how they would receive it. Theology Matters to do another conference or to make We were delighted that more than 150 people came and it an annual event, but I believe I would first want to see thrilled by their level of interest and participation. where the Spirit leads. I think many of us were profoundly affected by the message, unity, collegiality, On the one hand, we wanted the conference to be and fellowship we encountered for three days. I pray the primarily for congregational leaders, not for academic conference will be a turning point for all of us.
    [Show full text]
  • Paul Rowntree Clifford, "Christian Brethren and Nuclear War
    Christian Realism and Nuclear War PAUL ROWNTREE CLIFFORD HE DILEMMA facing Christians in relation to warfare is now more acute T than it has ever been. Up to the beginning of the nuclear age the Church had to reckon with the tension between those who saw in the New Testament a clear injunction to uncompromising pacifism, either on the grounds that killing or using force or both were wrong, and those who believed, with St. Augustine, 1 that in a fallen world conflict is inevitable and that it is the duty of the Christian to resist violence and aggression, even to the extent of being willing to take other lives should the need arise. To many, pacifism appeared to be an individualistic avoidance of political responsibility, only defensible as a quasi-monastic withdrawal from the world: a vocation perhaps for a few, but not a viable political policy which Christians could urge upon the state. Whatever the horrors of war, it was possible to argue on moral grounds that in certain circumstances it was right to take up arms, the foundation for this position being the doctrine of "the just war," for centuries an integral part of Catholic moral teaching. I. THE CONCEPT OF THE JusT WAR The invention of modern methods of mass destruction has created an entirely new situation which faces Christians with the challenge to rethink their position on a realistic basis. While individualistic pacifism is still likely to appeal only to a few, the majority of Christians look for a viable political policy which they can both defend and advocate; and this seems to be com­ pletely lacking.
    [Show full text]
  • German Transitions in the French Occupation Zone, 1945
    Forgotten and Unfulfilled: German Transitions in the French Occupation Zone, 1945- 1949 A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Guy B. Aldridge May 2015 © 2015 Guy B. Aldridge. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Forgotten and Unfulfilled: German Transitions in the French Occupation Zone, 1945- 1949 by GUY B. ALDRIDGE has been approved for the Department of History and the College of Arts and Sciences by Mirna Zakic Assistant Professor of History Robert Frank Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 Abstract ALDRIDGE, GUY B., M.A., May 2015, History Forgotten and Unfulfilled: German Transitions in the French Occupation Zone, 1945- 1949 Director of Thesis: Mirna Zakic This thesis examines how local newspapers in the French Occupation Zone of Germany between 1945 and 1949 reflected social change. The words of the press show that, starting in 1945, the Christian narrative was the lens through which ‘average’ Germans conceived of their past and present, understanding the Nazi era as well as war guilt in religious terms. These local newspapers indicate that their respective communities made an early attempt to ‘come to terms with the past.’ This phenomenon is explained by the destruction of World War II, varying Allied approaches to German reconstruction, and unique social conditions in the French Zone. The decline of ardent religiosity in German society between 1945 and 1949 was due mostly to increasing Cold War tensions as well as the return of stability and normality.
    [Show full text]
  • Kall, Skaperordning Og Makt En Analyse Av Kjønn I Lyngenlæstadianismen
    Kall, skaperordning og makt En analyse av kjønn i lyngenlæstadianismen Torjer A. Olsen Avhandling levert for graden Philosophiae Doctor UNIVERSITETET I TROMSØ Det samfunnsvitenskapelige fakultet Institutt for religionsvitenskap November 2008 ISBN: 978-82-91636-91-7 SV fakultetet 2008 Forord Universitetet i Tromsø har finansiert dette forskningsprosjektet gjennom et doktorgradsstipend. Jeg takker for dette, samt for utenlandsstipendet som gjorde det mulig å reise med hele familien og være utenlands to semester. I intervjuer, samtaler og gjennom deltakelse på stevner og forsamlinger har jeg møtt mange folk i de lyngenlæstadianske menighetene. Jeg takker særlig informantene mine, som her opptrer anonymt, for å ha gitt meg av tida si og for fortellinger og svar. Takk også til de mange som har slått av en prat, hilst på, vært nysgjerrige og kommet med kritikk. Det er å håpe at denne avhandlingen også kan gi noe til dem, og ikke bare kan virke i reint akademiske sammenhenger. Videre vil jeg gi en ekstra takk til Ragnar Samuelsen og Sigrun Martinsen, som har stått på for å finne svar på mine henvendelser om forsamlingshus, årstall og forskjellige personer fra historien. Hovedveileder, førsteamanuensis Siv-Ellen Kraft ved Institutt for religionsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Tromsø, har lest store og små tekster av særdeles varierende kvalitet, og har imponert med en fantastisk effektivitet. Innimellom har småbarnspraten danka ut avhandlingspraten. Jeg er uansett svært takknemlig for et inkluderende og svært lærerikt samarbeid, Siv-Ellen! Biveileder har vært professor Lisbeth Mikaelsson ved Seksjon for religionsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Bergen. Med en teft for fokus, presisjon og analytiske krav, samt en viss mengde brutalitet, har hun fått avhandlingen ut fra blindveier og inn på mer fruktbare stier.
    [Show full text]
  • Protestant Dissent in Nazi Germany: the Confessing Church Struggle with Hitler's Government
    Western Washington University Western CEDAR WWU Honors Program Senior Projects WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship Spring 2001 Protestant Dissent in Nazi Germany: The Confessing Church Struggle with Hitler's Government Jenisa Story Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors Part of the European History Commons Recommended Citation Story, Jenisa, "Protestant Dissent in Nazi Germany: The Confessing Church Struggle with Hitler's Government" (2001). WWU Honors Program Senior Projects. 348. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/348 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Honors Program Senior Projects by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Protestant Dissent in Nazi Germany: The Confessing Church Struggle with Hitler's Government Jenisa Story Advisor: Dr. Harry Ritter Honors Project June 4, 2001 An equal OP/JOrtunity university Honors Program Bellingham, Washington 98225-9089 (360)650-3034 Fax (360) 650-7305 HONORS THESIS In presenting this honors paper in partial requirements for a bachelor's degree at Western Washington University, I agree that the Library shall make its copies freely available for inspection. I further agree that extensive copying of this thesis is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood that any publication of this thesis for commercial purposes or for financial gain shall not be al1owed without my written permission. Signature r Date ~ - 3-JOOI Protestant Dissent in Nazi Germany: The Confessing Church Struggle with Hitler's Government Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
    [Show full text]
  • Aryan Jesus and the Kirchenkampf: an Examination of Protestantism Under the Third Reich Kevin Protzmann
    Aryan Jesus and the Kirchenkampf: An Examination of Protestantism under the Third Reich Kevin Protzmann 2 Often unstated in the history of National Socialism is the role played by Protestantism. More often than not, Christian doctrine and institutions are seen as incongruous with Nazism. Accordingly, the Bekennende Kirche, or Confessing Church, receives a great deal of scholarly and popular attention as an example of Christian resistance to the National Socialist regime. Overlooked, however, were the Deutsche Christen, or German Christians. This division within Protestantism does more than highlight Christian opposition to Nazism; on balance, the same cultural shifts that allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler transformed many of the most fundamental aspects of Christianity. Even the Confessing Church was plagued with the influence of National Socialist thought. In this light, the German Christians largely overshadowed the Confessing Church in prominence and influence, and Protestantism under the Third Reich was more participatory than resistant to Nazi rule. Like the National Socialists, the Deutsche Christen, or German Christians, have their roots in the postwar Weimar Republic. The movement began with the intention of incorporating post-war nationalism with traditional Christian theology.1 The waves of nationalism brought about by the dissolution of the German Empire spread beyond political thought and into religious ideas. Protestant theologians feared that Christianity retained many elements that were not “German” enough, such as the Jewishness of Jesus, the canonicity of the Hebrew Bible, and the subservient nature of Christian ethics.2 These fears led to dialogues among the clergy and laity about the future and possible modification of Christian doctrine.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses The early history of the Roman Catholic schools in Norway 1860-1924 Littlewood, Alan How to cite: Littlewood, Alan (1983) The early history of the Roman Catholic schools in Norway 1860-1924, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7585/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN NORWAY 1860-1924 by Alan Littlewood, Thesis for the Degree of Master of Education March 1983. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. •5. JAN ^9B4 I. Alan Littlewood. - ^; ., The Early History of the Roman Catholic Schools in Norway 1860-1924 Thesis for the Degree of Master of Education March 1983.
    [Show full text]
  • R[))Merijil§Tljn ÅRBOI( 1966 for ROMEHII(E HISTORIELAG BIND VI
    Arboknemnd: ASBJØRN DØRUMSGARD MAGNUS RØED KR. VIKNE R[))MERIJIl§TlJN ÅRBOI( 1966 FOR ROMEHII(E HISTORIELAG BIND VI Redaktør: ASBJØRN DØRUMSGARD UTGITT AV ROMERIKE HISTORIELAG Radering pel omslaget av KriJtofer ErikJen Ganer. Lillestrøm Blads Trykkeri Hilsener til Rornerike Historielag Fylkesmannen ~ Oslo og Akershus hilser Ikke bare Eidsvolls plass på kartet, men også andre be­ givenheter i historien har gitt Romerike en sentral og inter­ essant plass i historiegranskningen. Det er gledelig at et aktivt organ som Romerike Historielag arbeider med å belyse de tider som svant, og stoffet synes å være så omfattende at det ikke ser ut til å væte noen grunn til å tro at lagets virksomhet blir overflødig. PETTER KOREN En hilsen li-a Riksantikvaren Riksantikvaren har. med stor glede fulgt det dyktige arbeid som Romerike Historielag har nedlagt på forskjellige områder for å øke forståelsen for og utdype kjennskapet til denne del met, leidd med fast hand som eit Stortings-møte av formannen, av de brede bygders eldre kult:lr. Det er et arbeide som alle Asbjørn Dørumsgard. Eg minnest denne rolege «breie Aust­ gode romerikinger bør støtte. Først gjennom å kjenne oss selv, land»-møtelyden med nesten Vestlandsk entusiasme i arbeidet kan vi lære å forstå andre. for dei saker som har samla medlemene i Historielaget: Ynske om å berge det beste i den heimlege kulturen, feste det i dei ROAR HAVGUD faste historiske min~ og i den skrivne historia for Romerike, til gagn for ungdomen og for framtida. Landslaget for Bygde- og Byhistorie og eg med det takkar for Helsing frå Landslaget for Bygde- og Byhistorie velgjort hittil og ynskjer lykke til i arbeidet vidare.
    [Show full text]
  • German Churches and the Holocaust Assessing the Argument for Complicity
    The Raul Hilberg Memorial Lecture The University of Vermont April 15, 2013 German Churches and the Holocaust Assessing the Argument for Complicity Robert P. Ericksen Kurt Mayer Chair in Holocaust Studies Pacific Lutheran University The Carolyn and Leonard Miller Center for Holocaust Studies GERMAN CHURCHES AND THE HOLOCAUST ASSESSING THE ARGUMENT FOR COMPLICITY The Raul Hilberg Memorial Lecture University of Vermont April 15, 2013 Robert P. Ericksen Kurt Mayer Chair in Holocaust Studies Pacific Lutheran University I am pleased to deliver the Raul Hilberg Memorial Lecture, not only for the chance to join the impressive list of prior speakers, but because of Raul Hilberg himself. He was the man who essentially invented Holocaust Studies, completing his path-breaking work while teaching here at the University of Vermont. When Hilberg began his graduate program in political science at Columbia University, he was twenty-two years old. At that time, in 1948, he focused already on the idea and the research project that would make him known to all of us. Here is his description of that moment in his 1996 book, Politics of Memory: "I had become sure of myself, secure in my decision, certain that I would fill in the pieces of my jigsaw puzzle."1 He soon approached one of his professors at Columbia, Franz Neumann, the author of Behemoth and an imposing scholar on Nazi Germany.2 Hilberg asked Neumann if he would take on his proposal for a doctoral dissertation, "The Destruction of the European Jews." Neumann said yes, but he then added the comment, "It's your funeral."3 This exchange took place just three years after the defeat of Hitler's Germany and long before Holocaust Studies had begun to make its mark in the world of ideas.
    [Show full text]